Blanket-retaining device



(Ne Model.)

N. J. & E. J. BISSELL. BLANKET RETAINING DEVICE.

No. 594,701. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL J. BISSELL, OF HARTLAND, AND EDWARD J. BISSELL, OF MILFORD, MICHIGAN.

BLANKET-RETAINlNG DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,701, dated September 12, 1893.

Application filed August 20, 1892. Serial No. 448,562. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NATHANIEL J. BISSELL,

of Hartland, county of Livingston, and ED- WARD J. BrssELL, of Milford, county of Oakland, State of Michigan, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blanket-Retaining Devices; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventlon, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. This invention relates to new and useful improvements in blanket retaining pins, especlally designed for use on horse-blankets, and 1t consists in a certain formation and construction as will be hereinafter fullv set forth and claimed. v

The object of our invention is to provide means for quickly and firmly securing the blanket, upon ahorse in harness, to the tugs or traces of the harness, in such manner as to allow the same to be removed at will, but obviating its accidental displacement, which usually results in injury to the blanket from being trampled under the hoof of tlie horse, and exposure of the horse to the elements, which is dangerous and annoying. These difticulties are efiectually overcome and our obect attained by the employment of the deylce illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a horse having the blanket secured thereon by means of our improved safety-pin attachment. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of ourimproved safety-pin, detached. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the safety-pin, showing a portion of the blanket and trace attached thereto.

Referring to the letters on the drawings, A is the blanket, which is of the ordinary make and is secured around the neck of the horse with a strap and buckle in the usual way.

13 is the safety-pin, proper, which consists of and is formed from a single strand of spring wire of suitable gage and resilience, being first bent or curved at its center to form the nose or loop I). The parallel portions 0, c are then re-bent at a suitable distance from the nose 5, and are brought together and twisted at a point opposite said nose, thus forming the double loop or spring-hook cl, that is adapted to receive and support the trace C, as shown in Fig. 3, the trace being securely retained in place by the spring tension of the hook. The circle or guard E is then formed by curving the strands sufficiently to form a loop and cause said strands to meet ate, where they are again twisted (as shown in Figs. 3 and 2) from which point said strands diverge to points slightly less in width than the diameter of the guard E and from thence extend a slight distance in a parallel line, in which position they are re-bent and the ends f f returned to the guard E, where the extreme points of said strands enter the depressions 2' 1' formed in the opposed sides of said guard, thus forming a lock and guard for the ends of the strands f f which serve in the capacity of pins to secure the device to the blanket, this being accomplished in the usual way by passing the pins through the blanket and back into the guard, as shown in Fig. 3.

To secure the blanket to the traces, we employ two of these safety-pins, which are attached to the rear of'thc blanket on opposite sides thereof, in such position with relation to the traces of the harness, as to allow the hooks that depend from the guards E of the device, to receive and support said traces as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and thus prevent the blanket from being shifted by the action of the horse in traveling, or from being blown 0d or otherwise displaced while in service, but allowing the same to be removed when desired by simply disengaging the traces from the hooks of the pins, when the blanket will be free to be removed, the pins remaining attached to the blanket, and by the employment of the double prongs that pass through the blanket, the strain is divided between the points of attachment, which greatly reduces the liability of tearing out the blanket at such points, and the body of the blanket lying between the pins and the guard, prevents the points of the pins from being accidentally disengaged from the notches or depressions in the guard.

Having thus fully set forth our invention,

what we claim as ncw, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

A blanket retaining pin, formed of a single piece of spring wire, consisting of a central circular guard formed by spreading the strands of wire between two twisted points; said guard having depressions therein on 0pposite sides, the approximately parallel looped pins proceeding from said guard and returnto ing thereto, their free ends engaging in the depressions therein, the spring hook extending from said guard in the opposite directions from said pin, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL J. BISSELL. EDW'ARD J. BISSELL. WVitnesses:

CHARLES E. LovEJoY, ARTIE LOVEJOY. 

